The present energy crisis has inspired activity in the search for and use of additional sources of energy, one of such sources being solar energy. The numerous advantages and benefits in utilizing solar energy for heating and cooling buildings, building facilities such as hot water, and the conservation of other fuels such as oil and gas are the subject of an article in Actual Specifying Engineer of August 1973 Pages 84 - 92 which was adapted from the testimony of Fred S. Dubin before the Subcommittee on Energy, of the House, Science and Astronautics Committee on June 12, 1973.
Prior attempts to utilize solar energy have been made since and prior to the early part of this century (U.S. Pat. No. 980,505). Apparatus for heating water by circulating water through tubes exposed to the sun and carried in a receptacle are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,274,492; 2,3ll,579; 2,693,939; and 3,039,453. Such prior proposed solar energy devices had various advantages and disadvantages and were probably not commercially successful because of the presence and availability of what was considered to be more effecient and more economic energy sources such as oil, gas and coal. Some of the disadvantages of the prior proposed solar energy devices included constructions in which the collected energy in the form of heat was subject to dissipation and loss at a relatively high rate in the transfer of such heat to other energy forms. In addition, under conditions of maximum exposure to solar energy, the materials used in the energy device were not adapted or arranged to withstand the extremely high temperatures such as 400.degree. to 500.degree. F. and also withstand low temperatues which may extend to 0.degree. F. or below. It is desirable that a solar energy device be capable of operation under the weather and temperature conditions encountered during the entire year, since in the winter solar energy can supplement heating of water and the home, and in the summer the energy developed from a solar energy device may be employed to supply air conditioning as well as hot water requirements. The improvement in types of materials available and their adaptability to extreme weather and temperature conditions may provide a solar energy device capable of effective commercial operation.